Diesel engine vs. gas engine

[russholio]

Currently have a 2002 Silverado 2500HD with the 6.0 liter gasoline engine. It gets horrible mileage and I'm somewhat disappointed with its towing ability. I have the opportunity to get a 2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD with the 6.6 Duramax turbo diesel. I've never owned a diesel, only used them at work (and a fire engine isn't a fair comparison to a passenger vehicle). Aside from diesel currently costing more than gasoline, is there anything I should know about this engine? It's track record? The good? The bad (known problems, etc.)? I'm really considering making the switch because at least 10 months out of the year I'm hauling something -- utility trailer, sleds, and the fifth wheel -- the latter being the biggest reason I want something with better towing ability.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[indy_500]

They get about 16-18 mpg, a lot of people overlook the great gas mileage (diesel mileage? lol) diesels get.

 

[jeepbob47]

I had a diesel Excursion. I bought it because I could not find a gas one like it. So after I buy it the diesel fuel went up and cost more than gas. The oil changes are about $90.00 and the diesel package cost $7,000.00 more than the gas Excursion. I do not even want to know how long I would of kept the thing to break even. I traded it in on a new 2008 Cadillac Escalade ESV. So in the end the gas and diesel were pretty equal mpg wise for city and highway. So I don't think I will ever own a diesel again. Oh, the diesel was warranted for 10 years/100,000 miles. I did have problems that were taken care of for free because of the Ford/Navistar warranty. Anyway, thats my diesel expierence. I like diesel but I think you have to drive it into the ground to get your cost out of it as far as personal use goes. I would choose gas.

 

[dekx]

They get about 16-18 mpg, a lot of people overlook the great gas mileage (diesel mileage? lol) diesels get.

I get great gas mileage with my ford diesel, awsome towing power and haven't had one issue in 58,000 yet! I will never go back to a gas while Im towing a trailer!

Even around town I get better than a friends gas 5.2 liter Chevy Tahoe.

 

[xc700LP]

6.6L turbo duramax

I've got a 06 duramax and I get great gas mileage 20-22 run great and tows even better. I'll never go back to a gas motor.

 

[russholio]

I've got a 06 duramax and I get great gas mileage 20-22 run great and tows even better. I'll never go back to a gas motor.

Any troubles with it or any known bugs? Also....is it stock or do you have any performance upgrades?

 

[600skidoo]

6.7 cummins

Had a 09 Dodge 2500 4X4 quad cab 3.90gears 13-20mpg and a 01 Ford F350 4X4 crew 8'bed 3.73 gears12-18mpg both with diesels. Traded the Ford for a 06 Chevy crew short bed 6.0 3.73 gears best mpg was 13mpg unloaded, pulling two sleds was 9.5mpg at best.I pulled a 31" bunk house camper with the 09 and 01Ford, no camper with the 06 Chevy.

I missed the power of the diesels and mpg so went back to Dodge.
Trip to the UP this year
1250mi fuel on the Dodge 13.7mpg 91galX3.399=$309.
1250mi fuel on the Chevy 9.5 mpg 131galX3.309=$405.
So $91 diffrence on the 1250mi trip. I do my own service work and it cost about $38 for oil and filter change fuel filter every fall $36.

Don't forget about the residual value of the diesel at trade or sale.
On my 01 Ford it was a $10000. trade diffrence from a V10 gas to the 7.3 diesel the cost of the 7.3 was $4500 more than the V10gas when I purchased the truck hit the jackpot on this one they sold it in 1 week. Took a bath on the 06 Chevy with the 6.0gas, seems that the were having trouble moving the used 6.0 gas trucks they had it on the lot for 7mo, 2year old truck with 13XXXmi. I looked at trading my Dodge on a 2011 and they will allow me $5500 more for the diesel. This is at the delership I have traded with since 1991.

On a side note one of my friends has a VW Golf TDI and a new Jeta TDI.
they run 40-50mpg all the time.

 

[dhealy8]

All posts above summed it up good.... extra up front cost, oil change more (65) , fuel more per gal, fuel filter once a year (90), and fuel additive in the winter. The pulling power is awesome and engine life should be more if taken care of properly. I have an 06 Chevy
crew cab 4x4, should be same LBZ 6.6 engine your looking at (not sure exactly when they quit makin LLY engine, that was a good one too), with 305 AT tires and super chip (+63hp) i get 12-13 towing and 18 driving to the yoop without trailer 72-75mph, everything else stock. If the extra cost and some extra maintenance doesn't bother you, and your gona do some serious towing, go for it. Have had NO mechanical problems, a couple bad radiator hoses and that's about it in 53k miles. Never heard of any major common problems. Check cab corners and lower rockers for rust. They ride like a Cadillac.

 

[russholio]

Good tips so far, thanks. I knew the oil changes would be more, as they hold more oil. Is changing the oil an involved process, or is it similar to an oil change on a gasoline engine? Did not know about yearly fuel filters. I do like to do as much as I can myself (as far as normal/routine maintenance). In general, though, are diesels more expensive to work on than gasoline engines (not necessarily for normal/routine maintenance, but all around)?

I know that the fuel is more, but I'm hoping it will be at least partially offset by the better mileage (my 6 liter gasoline engine gets at best 15 mpg on the highway, not towing, 60-65 mph, with a tailwind). Plop that 30' fifth wheel on the back and it's more like 8 or 9, and that's doing 60. And as others have stated, I know it also holds its value better and should have greater longevity. The one I'm looking at has 73000 miles, which from what I hear (maybe correctly, maybe incorrectly, I don't know) is just getting warmed up for a diesel.

I live less than a mile from work and walk or ride my bike most of the time, so I don't put a ton of city miles on my vehicle. I'm almost always towing something whenever I'm on the highway for any amount of time, so it would seem to make sense to get something that tows better and doesn't mind towing. At 122,000 miles, I think my 6 liter may be starting to get a little tired. Not that it doesn't have life left to it and (knock on wood) so far no major problems, but I think it's got more years (and miles) behind it than in front of it.

 

[srt20]

If you get just 4 miles per gallon more with the diesel(which you easily will), diesel fuel will have to cost $1.00 per gallon more than gas just to break even in cost per mile.
Advantage=diesel

Diesel oil changes=7500-15000 miles
Gas oil changes=3000-7500 miles
oil cost the same, filters cost the same on dodges, I would guess they are close for Chevys.
figure approx $25 more per oil change, but you change half as much, = wash

You gotta change fuel filters on gassers as well as diesels, dodge diesel fuel filter is $20. Since Chevys have the same fuel system as Dodge, I assume the filter prices are similar.

No plugs to change on diesels, and I havent heard of any glow plugs going out on Duramax engines at all. Advantage= diesel

Diesel engines typically last much longer than gassers
Diesels tow much better than gassers, with alot less rpms.
Diesels dont lose power at elevation like gassers(in case you go sledding out west)
Diesels cost more initially, but hold much better resale value. Bluebook on my truck is more now than what it was three years ago when I bought it used. It was 3 years old with 35K miles, now 6 years old with 78K miles.


I own a Dodge diesel and a Dodge hemi both 05s. I can honestly say the hemi has cost more in maintience than the Cummins. But both have been super reliable. The hemi aint worth sh!t, the cummins is worth more than I paid for it 3 years ago.

Just one guy's experince with trucks.

BTW 05 I think was the LLY engine for chevy. It was prone to overheat on hard pulls, but it is a intake air design flaw, and is easily and cheapy fixed by a do-it-yourself'er at home.
Cant go wrong with most Duramax engines.

 

[srt20]

BTW changing oil is the same as a gasser, changing filter is easy too. Otherwise, put a new belt on it, like a gasser, every once in awhile and run it. Dont use K&N oiled air filters on diesels, bad for the turbo and engine.

No engines like a mile long commute, especially diesels.

 

[fusionfool]

If you use the truck primary for towing, diesel is the way to go. The Duramax is a wonderful engine. Had a 2001 and loved it for towing. Fuel price is of coarse now higher than before the low sulfur came to the US. Oil changes are going to cost more, dealers charge around $90 now. Bottom line is you buy a diesel for the power, not the fuel economy. The extra cost of fuel, and maintenance will soak up your fuel savings. Now for towing, you would not be disappointed with the Duramax. I used to tow a Dutchman 5th wheel, triple slide outs, Garage in the back with two sportsman 500's. Never a complaint for lack of power.

 

[oldguy]

This is exactly what I went thru. I went from a 2001 Chev 2500 hd 6.0 to a 2005 Duramax short box quad cab. If all you use the truck for is pulling, get the Duramax. I put 135000 miles on mine when I traded it off. In that time all that went wrong mechanically was a bolt broke off one of the brake calipers.

I did have problems gelling. I live in northern MN, when the temps got below 25 below the only thing that worked to keep it running was to run a blend of 75% 1 diesel and 25% 2 diesel. I talked to other Duramax owners and they said they didn't have as much trouble with gelling as I had.

You'll get a lot better mileage then the 6.0. I have a heavy foot, my 6.0 pulling a enclosed 4 place sled trailer was only getting around 8 mpg. Not pulling maybe around 11-12. My Duramax got around 10 pulling the same trailer and around 15-16 in the summer not pulling. I never could get the mileage other Duramax owners said they got.

Pulling is great, gone will be all of the transmission up shifts and down shifts you have with the 6.0. Highway speed corners pulling heavy will also feel much better. You'll also notice a big improvement in stopping when loaded.

I traded my Duramax off for a 2010 6.2 liter 1/2 ton Chev heavy hauler last summer because of the following reasons. It had 135000 miles on it and I got over $20,000.00 for it. I was only using it for pulling heavy stuff about once a month. I did not want to deal with the gelling problem any more. I hated standing in smelly diesel fuel pumps filling up. The 2010 6.2 Chev pulls everything I own without much noticeable difference in power and just a little loss in gas mileage. The 1/2 ton rides much better when not pulling.

Good luck with whatver you decide, this was just what I experienced.

 

[Sweep800]

Do diesels have emissions testing like gas engines?

 

[winter_time]

They get about 16-18 mpg, a lot of people overlook the great gas mileage (diesel mileage? lol) diesels get.

indy which diesel do you have and what size trailer are you pulling because my buddy gets about 8 mpg pulling a 4 place steel enclosed with his 6.4 liter diesel

In my opinion a diesel is not worth it. My family owns a 2002 Ford Excursion with the triton v 10 and we get 9.5 mpg pulling the same trailer as my buddy. The good part with a gas engine is you do not have the high maintenance cost like a diesel does and i really dont notice any difference in pulling with the diesel vs. the gas. Our excursion gets about 14.7 mpg not pulling a trailer and my buddys truck gets 12.3 mpg. The other problem with diesel is diesel fuel is more money than gasoline and you will not make up the difference in fuel mileage. One more thing is the new gasoline engines will last just as long as the new diesel engines will.

 

[indy_500]

indy which diesel do you have and what size trailer are you pulling because my buddy gets about 8 mpg pulling a 4 place steel enclosed with his 6.4 liter diesel

I thought we were discussing a 6.6 not a 6.4? The newer the diesel, the better.

 

[winter_time]

I thought we were discussing a 6.6 not a 6.4? The newer the diesel, the better.

indy can you please tell me what diesel you own so i have evidence when i go to buy a truck that it should get this mileage pulling a trailer.

 

[indy_500]

indy can you please tell me what diesel you own so i have evidence when i go to buy a truck that it should get this mileage pulling a trailer.

this is my new truck

 

[winter_time]

so you have a ford with a 7.3 or a 6.0 lets see the title then i can go to the dealer and tell them i want this vehicle that gets 16 -18 mpg towing my four place trailer

 

[indy_500]

so you have a ford with a 7.3 or a 6.0 lets see the title then i can go to the dealer and tell them i want this vehicle that gets 16 -18 mpg towing my four place trailer

I left the title and registration in the glove box, takes too long to crawl up in it to go get it.